IPOPHL Launches New Electronic Filing System

IPOPHL Launches New Electronic Filing System

       

Stakeholders tried out filing online, standing at back portion

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) launched its new electronic filing system known as the IPOPHL TM eFile as part of the World IP Day Celebrations, which started on 23 April, with the Celebration of the World Book and Copyright Day. 

Director Leny B. Raz

The IPOPHL eTMfile allows the online filing of new trademark applications 24/7 and is linked to three different payment channels. With IPOPHL eTMfile, applicants and IP agents need not go to the IPOPHL to file trademark applications.   

IPOPHL eTMfile is one of the new initiatives of Director General Josephine Rima-Santiago, who assumed the top IPOPHL post less than six months ago, to modernize the eServices for use by IPOPHL stakeholders. 

Director General Josephine R. Santiago

According to Director General Santiago, “the IPOPHL began enhancing its IT systems with the deployment of the Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS) as the new back office system for patents and trademarks in 2012.  Now, we are focusing on tools that will modernize electronic transactions with the IPOPHL, starting with the new IPOPHL eTMfile.”

The IPOPHL eTMfile is linked to two other tools—ASEAN TMclass, which makes the classification of goods and services much easier, and National IPOPHL TMview, allowing the generation of preliminary search reports that applicants may use as reference prior to filing.  IPOPHL eTMfile also has another new feature, which makes possible the submission of documents, such as the special power of attorney, request for priority examination, and declaration of actual use, together with the online application. 

IPOPHL eTMfile is a system developed in collaboration with EU-ASEAN Project on IP Rights (ECAP III Phase II), a project being administered by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

As lead for both information technology and trademarks under the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC), the IPOPHL has been collaborating closely with the ECAP III Project for the adaptation of IT tools that could be used not only by the Philippines, but also by other ASEAN IP Offices. 

Director General Santiago said further, “the IPOPHL eTMfile is the first of two eServices tools that we are deploying this semester.  Next in the pipeline is the IPOPHL eDOCfile, an advanced electronic filing system for practically all types of trademark documents, including responses, powers of attorney, various types of declarations, assignments, and enables both the IPOPHL and the applicant to digitally sign documents submitted to the Office.”The prototype of the IPOPHL eDOCfile was also presented to stakeholders after the eTMfile launch.

The IPOPHL is the first ASEAN Office to deploy eTMfile and is also expected to be the first to go on production with the eDOCfile in June.

The IPOPHL eTMfile is accessible to all trademark stakeholders beginning today. Log on to: http://121.58.254.39:8080/sp-ui-tmefiling/wizard.htm?execution=e1s1

words:  IPOPHL

Philippine Inventors to Benefit from WIPO's "Inventor Assistance Program" thru IPOPHL

WIPO DDG John Sandage

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched its 3^rd Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) in the Philippines as part of their globalization strategies on IP collaborations following the success of Colombia and Morocco on their IAP accession.  Pioneering companies who sponsored the IAP are Novartis, IFIA, and QUALCOMM, benefitting them as well with global patent prosecution and protection. WIPO Deputy Director General for Patents and Technology Sector, Mr. John Sandage, delivered his speech on behalf of WIPO, emphasized the importance of the 3^rd IAP Pilot launch in the Philippines as a developing country with a vibrant local innovations scenario that can be seen by a high number of Innovation and Technology Support Centers nationwide. Mr. Sandage assured that WIPO would continue collaboration with Philippine authorities and the IPOPHL in order to make the IP successful and to help local inventors get Patents.

Mr. Marco Aleman, WIPO Director for Patent Law Division

The launching in the Philippines of the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) is the culminating event during the National Seminar on Patents and Innovation last 01 March 2016. According to Mr. Marco Aleman, WIPO Acting Director for Patent Law Division, the main objective of the IAP is to spur patenting of inventions by incentivizing local inventors by partnering them with International IP Lawyers and experts for free assistance throughout the patent process/prosecution. IAP as a whole will benefit the inventors, the society in general, Patent Offices, and Patent Attorneys. During the event, various topics related to IAP were presented to more than 300 attendees from the academe, industry associations, government offices, and inventors. 

Topic discussions focused on the Patent System as a Tool for Promoting Innovation as well as the latest Trends and Figures on Patent Filings/Grants on Innovation were presented by Mr. Aleman.  A briefer on the current situation of Innovation in the Philippines and IPOPHL’s support to Innovators were discussed by Atty. Allan B. Gepty, IPOPHL Deputy Director General  for Advocacy, Policy and International Relations.

IAP benefit testimonials from one of the large corporations such as Mr. Corey Salsberg, Novartis International AG Switzerland Head for International IP Policy, attested in giving them more inspiration in providing better medicines, while the role of the Patent Attorney was substantiated by Mr. Alvaro Correa, Partner of Baker‐McKenzie Colombia and is a Member of the IAP Steering Committee.  

ITSOs Representatives from USC and UP with Director Carmen Paralta

Experiences from Philippine Universities and Research Centers on Benefits from Patents were presented by Dr. Danilo Largo, Director of Research and ITSO Manager University of San Carlos and Mr.  Ace Acosta, Senior Technology Transfer Officer, University Research Associate  and ITSO Manager, of the University of the Philippines.  Both universities were able to corroborate highly commercialized inventions through technology transfer and joint venture business partnerships between schools and private entities.  With the launching of the IAP, the Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSOs) nationwide will make the program an additional incentive to boost IP commercialization.  The Technology and Innovation Support Centers  (TISC), with a local counterpart ITSO, as a global WIPO project was comprehensively discussed by Mr. Andrew Czajkowski, Head, WIPO Innovation and Technology Support Section - Global Infrastructure Sector,  stressing the value of the Patent Information to develop new solutions to technical challenges faced in the country, or adapt existing technologies to suit local conditions.

The Innovation and Technology sectors in the Philippines will expect more global support in the coming years from WIPO and other IP Office partners all over the world.

For more Information on Inventor Assistance Program, visit www.wipo.org

PHILIPPINE JEWELLERY DESIGNER AWARDED IN THE CREATIVE ASEAN JEWELLERY DESIGN COMPETITION 2015

The Creative ASEAN Jewellery Design Competition 2015 Collective Exhibition and Awarding Ceremony, held on September 10-14, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand is the inaugural creative competition made possible with the cooperation of intellectual property offices of ASEAN member countries under the ASEAN Project on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: ECAP III Phase II.

The competition was done in two stages: 1.) The National Phase; and the ASEAN Phase. As in the Philippines, the National Phase of which was organized by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, each participating ASEAN member country, selected 5 top jewellery designs. Each set of top jewellery designs, for that particular country, were deliberated upon by a panel of judges in Thailand. One of these jewellery designs was chosen as the best jewellery design for that country.

The “Serpent” jewellery design by Mrs. Milagros B. Imson was chosen as the best jewellery design from among national entries officially submitted by the Philippines. 

Jewellery design from other participating countries are as follows: “Home Grown” by Ms. Yusrina Abdullah from Brunei Darussalam, “Let It Flow” by Ms. Evi Widjaja from Indonesia, “Champa Flowers and Tamarind Leaves” by Mrs. Chansy Vichitvongsa from Lao PDR, “The Exotica Orchid Collection” by Ms. Farah Izaura Rohaizad from Malaysia, “Red Indian Brooch” by Mr. Okkar Kyaw from Myanmar, “Ever Foliage” by Ms. Achillea Teng Siow Lee from Singapore, “Fairly Fairy” by Ms. Jittrakarn Bunterngpiboon from Thailand, and “Spring of Peace” by Mrs. Tran Thi Hue from Vietnam.  

http://ecap-project.org/news/creative-asean-design-competition-2105

A special award was given to Mrs. Tran Thi Hue’s jewellery design from Vietnam, as the jury was impressed by her creative expression in design, selection of excellent materials, and a high application of innovative approach for the design.

The Top Philippine entries were as follows: Copulation series by Helena Alegre, Besprinkled by Antonio Atienza Jr., Full Bloom and Birdcage by Manuelito Esmane, Serpent and Cleopatra by Milagros Imson.

The Judging and Selection for the National Phase of the Creative ASEAN Jewellery Design Competition 2015 was held on 26 May 2015. 

The following were Jury Panelists (Judges) for the National Phase: Mr. Hans Brumman (jeweller), represented by Mr. Angelino Gabon; Ms. Lulu Tan-Gan (fashion designer); Ms. Myrna Sunico (Executive Director, Design Center of the Philippines), represented by  Mr. Luis Jose Manalang; Arch. Daisy Palattao; and Atty. Nelson P. Laluces (Deputy Director General, IPOPHL).

  

From left to right: DDG Nelson Laluces, Arch. Daisy Palattao, Ms. Minda del Rio of IPOPHL, Ms. Lulu Tan-Gan, Mr. Angelino Gabon, and Mr. Luis Jose Manalang for Executive Director Myrna Sunico. - See more at: http://www.ipophil.gov.ph/index.php/releases/2014-09-22-06-26-21/330-ipophl-identifies-official-ph-entries-to-the-asean-jewellery-design-competition-2#sthash.2tjR3WF0.dpuf

Ms. Maria Luisa Lourdes Unson, President of Sterling Gifts, Inc. and the Philippine Jewellery Business Club Foundation, Inc, was one of the five experts in the competition’s regional jury.

See more at: http://www.ipophil.gov.ph/index.php/releases/2014-09-22-06-26-21/339-intricate-filigree-represents-philippines-in-asean-jewellery-competition-b#sthash.SIBAeZfe.dpuf

words:  Froilan T. Buizon, IPOPHL

APEC-IPEG Successful Economic Cooperation Meeting in Cebu

The Philippines kicked-off activities for APEC SOM3 on 22 August 2015 in Cebu City.  The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) was one of the first agencies under the Department of Trade and Industry to conduct meetings with the Intellectual Property Experts Group (APEC-IPEG) chaired by Mr. Miguel Angel Margain of the Industrial Property of the United Mexican  States.  Prior to the start of the first day of the APEC-IPEG meeting on 22 August 2015 at the Santa Maria Room in Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, the Philippines organized a breakfast meeting with the delegates from South Korea, Russia and Mexico to push its two proposals on (1) Brand Development for MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) and (2) IP Valuation, Financing and Commercialization for MSMEs.

APEC Intellectual Property Rights Experts' Group (IPEG) Workshop: the Role of Trade Secrets for 

MSMEs in Attracting Financing and Integrating into Global Supply Chains #APEC2015 #IPEG

The United States hosted a workshop on trade secret protection for the APEC-IPEG delegates. The US delegate lauded during the meeting proper, the event a success and was helpful for the delegates in understanding trade secret protection as, among others, a tool in facilitating the regional and global expansion of MSMEs.   

After the hosted workshop, the APEC IPEG Chairman officially opened the meeting sessions with a remarkable message as quoted: 

“Good morning to all and welcome to the IPEG’s 41^st Meeting. It is such a pleasure to gather today to continue sharing our experiences and efforts on nourishing each of our IP systems to contribute to a larger development of our economies.

Within this forum, there have been such substantive projects on a diversity of subjects that have detonated collaborative initiatives and have inspired other economies to adapt or develop new ones in their own context. This is where its richness relies, in the infinite possible synergies that can be set off from sharing a single idea. On these two days, we will be devoted to presenting our different approaches on significant IP matters, learning from each other’s best practices and building together new paths on the impelling field that intellectual property puts before us.

APEC IPEG Chairman Miguel Angel Margain

I am thrilled to meet you this time in Cebu City, often called “The Queen City of the South” – capital to the Cebu Province and the oldest city in the Philippines. As the second city in the country, it is one of its main centers for commerce, trade, industry and education, which make it a perfect venue for us to close IPEG’s Philippines cycle this year.

On this opportunity I would like to deeply thank our 2015 hosts for offering such amazing locations which have provided us with a beautiful background for these incredibly fruitful meetings. Thank you Philippines for your hard work and unrivalled hospitality.

IPOPHL OIC-Director General Allan B. Gepty

As in all IPEG Meetings, I would like to ask members if someone wants to make any last minute changes to the Agenda; this means to place an item differently than it is now schedules. Please consider that some items were deleted from the Agenda as we did not receive any request on that particular topic for this session, and in order to work more efficiently; however, it bares to mention that these items will be reinstated in future agendas as requested.”

During the APEC-IPEG meeting, the Philippines did a presentation on the “IPOPHL Rules and Regulations in the Exercise of Enforcement Functions.” Only few IP Offices in the world have this mandate.  The presentation walked the delegates through the related procedures such as, the IP Office can only exercise the function with the help of other enforcement agencies. It noted that the exercise of the enforcement functions helps in deterring IP violations. The USA lauded the Philippines’ “creative and energetic” enforcement efforts. It noted that it has received positive reports from the American businesses in the Philippines and count these reports as an objective test of the progress of IP protection and enforcement in the Philippines. The Philippines also presented its currently launched IP Depot website, a digital platform for homegrown intellectual property rights to promote their IP assets online with the assistance of IPOPHL.

Peru Delegate handing over a token to
IPOPHL OIC-DG Allan Gepty

Professor Evelyn Taboada showing the IPEG delegates
the details of the mango seed used as raw material 

L-R: IPOPHIL Director Carmen Peralta, USC ITSO Manager Danilo Largo, Mrs. Go,
Magic Melt President and Stockholder of GEMS, Professor Evelyn Taboada, APEC-IPEG Delegate,
IPOPHL OIC-DG Allan Gepty, and another APEC-IPEG delegate.

The APEC-IPEG delegates, as part of the 2-day meeting session, visited one of the notable commercialised inventions from Cebu City.  The delegates went for a technical study tour to the Mango Waste Bio Refinery Plant, a joint business venture of the University of San Carlos (USC) and Green Enviro Management Systems Inc. (GEMS) in Cebu City. The inventor of the Mango Peel and wastes refinery, USC Professor Evelyn Taboada, presented the company milestones, their contribution to community livelihood programs, health benefits of their products to consumers, toured the delegates in the Processing plant, and provided food samples of energy bars and other pastries made of mango flour.  The delegates were impressed with the new technology and their success story on how a research institution can make a business venture out of its IP assets. 

Pre-production process at GEMS

Induction of 3rd Batch of IP Youth Advocates during
the hosted dinner at CIRCA 1900, Cebu City

Cebu YIPA doing a selfie with IPEG Chair Margain

With the Philippines’ passion for hospitality, IPOPHL hosted an informal dinner for the delegates at the Circa 1900 in Lahug, Cebu City.  They were presented with Filipino and Asian fusion food offerings specially made by CIRCA 1900 Chefs.  Circa 1900 is  in an almost 120-year-old house where guests can have historical experience in Cebu.  It serves food with ingredients fresh from their mini-farm.  During the dinner, the 3rd batch of the Young IP Advocates (YIPA) from Cebu were formally introduced through an oath taking ceremony inducted by the IPOPHL OIC-Director General Allan B. Gepty.  The newest Young IP Ambassador, Pamela Jude Gonzales from Cebu City National Science High School, selected from a total of 14 Cebu High School students delivered her speech during the dinner was applauded by the IPEG delegates and her peers.  A notable part of her speech as quoted, “ However, unlike other assets, IP is intangible. Yet, we were made to understand that intellectual property protection is critical to fostering a country’s economic growth. Without protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development. Similarly, artists would not be fully compensated for their creation and cultural vitality would suffer as a result. IP is an asset that any person can own, sell, license or even give to another person. Like tangible assets, IP requires protection from theft or unauthorized use.”

Circa 1900 Cebu City pastries and desserts

Another APEC-IPEG meeting activity was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between two economies, the Philippines and Mexico, to forge anew a partnership in the ASEAN bloc on expanding and strengthening the IP System thru promotions and protection programs.  IPOPHL OIC-Director General Allan B. Gepty and Mexico IPO Director General Miguel Angel Margain signed the memorandum on 23 August 2015 as witnessed by the United Mexican States Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Julio Camarena Villasenor, and the Consul General in Cebu, Mr. Eduardo Gonzales.  Also present during the MOU signing were BOT Director Leny B. Raz, and Ms. Mariana Acosta of the Industrial Property of the United Mexican States.

PHL-MX MoU signing ceremony

The APEC-IPEG meeting concluded on 23 August 2015 with a more positive outlook and integrated IP programs toward the implementation of the ASEAN Integration in the near future.  For more details about APEC 2015, you may log on to: apec2015.ph or ipophil.gov.ph for IPEG meetings.

3rd IP Youth Camp in Cebu for the Young IP Advocates

IPOPHL Holds IP Youth Camp In Time For APEC Cebu Hosting 

19 August 2015, Cebu City, Philippines

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) brings the 3^rd Intellectual Property (IP) Youth Camp to Cebu City in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation IP Rights Experts’ Group (APEC-IPEG) meeting from 22 -23 August 2015.

This is the first time that the IP Youth Camp is held outside of Metro Manila and with the majority of the participants coming from science and technology and private secondary schools in the Cebu province. The IPOPHL will also fly select alumni from the previous IP Youth Camps in Metro Manila to Cebu to allow the students to meet, collaborate and share experiences.

The IP Youth Advocates Program IPOPHL began in 2013 with the aim of enabling secondary school students understand the role of IP in nation-building. From the  initial roster of three schools in 2013, the number of participating schools has expanded to seven in Metro Manila alone, producing a total of 25 students in 2014 who are now called IPOPHL’s Young IP Advocates (YIPA) in their respective schools.

“By bringing the IPOPHL’s IP Youth Advocates program to Cebu in time for APEC-IPEG, we are not only expanding the reach of the program, but also sharing one of our most successful IP awareness and education initiatives to our partner APEC economies. The program taps into the creativeness and innovativeness of our youths. Our vision is to make this as an instrument for harnessing creativity, innovation and respect for IP rights among our young people who are the future of our country,” said Atty. Allan B. Gepty, Deputy Director General/Officer-In-Charge of IPOPHL and head of the Philippine APEC-IPEG delegation.

The two-day IP Youth Camp, which starts today, will carry out various exciting activities to demystify IP and will highlight the importance of IP in their daily lives and emphasize the value of respect for IP. Out of the learning experiences, the participants will be directed to come up with a concrete plan of action on how they can share the learnings to their schoolmates. 

After the Youth Camp, the Cebu participants will be presented officially as IP Advocates. They will have the opportunity to take their oath as Young IP Advocates before the APEC-IPEG delegates on 22 August.

IP education and awareness for the youth is one of the priority initiatives of the Philippines at APEC. 

words:  Emmelina Masanque, IPOPHL IDTD